That slogan, one of the many fantastically imaginative and piquant sayings created by the rioting French students and workers in May 1968, captures more than acres of print the political miracle spreading across the Middle East. It was a slogan that particularly appealed to Daniel Singer, the activist, journalist and author whose premature death in 2000 was marked by the setting up of an Essay Prize in his name.

In 2010, I was lucky enough to win that prize, and Housmans has kindly agreed to put the essay I wrote – ‘Starting all over from Scratch? The Need for Radical Reforms in our Own Movement’ – on its website. I’ve asked for this not out of self-promotion – honest! – but because I’d like to see the ideas I’ve put forward get more discussion on the left.

The question raised by the Daniel Singer Foundation was “Given the devastating effects of the present crisis on working people, what proposals for radical reform can be raised which are both practical to the vast majority while moving us towards the goal of socialism?” and essentially, my “answer” turned the question on its head. For many years I’ve felt that abstract demands play far too large a part in left activity. I’ve argued, using a quote from Singer’s last book in the title, that building a movement rather than a “party”, relating to where the working class is rather than where we would like it to be, is the way to go. I look forward to Housmanniks’ responses.